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I was on the 4th sailing of the Beyond in the retreat Sky Suite. I loved it. Excited to try it again but in concierge class. You are right about the shopping. I think they need to have a more diverse option and they are missing out on revenue by just having high end shopping.
I agree with you on the shopping. I was just on the Majestic Princess and there were too many high end stores and usually empty. I would rather have stores that the majority of cruisers can afford to shop in.
I just last Sunday disembarked from the Celebrity Beyond and I can honestly say that your review is spot on. We were on the same itinerary as you and also found (surprisingly) Port Taino a very nice port. I really cannot add anything that you did not mention.
We just got off our cruise on the Beyond. We usually cruise with Holland or Princess. The Beyond is a really beautiful ship. I know I’m going to be comparing it with the two we usually use but that’s the way it goes. Number one difference is the staff, they really didn’t look like they were happy at all. No one was smiling or friendly. It was really different than what we were used to. Don’t get me wrong, they did a great job just not as easy to get to know. Number two complaint was the lack of regular chairs on the pool deck. They only had comfortable chairs on one side of the pool. The wind was horrible for several days but you couldn’t just move to the other side. I have a hard time sitting on the reclining deck chairs because of a neck injury. I tried to go up to the 15th floor where the garden was but while they have quite a few chairs but very little shade. That also was where the movies in the afternoon were and it was just to hot in the direct sunlight to stay and enjoy the movies. Number three was the food. My husband is in a wheelchair from a bad broken leg so we only went to the restaurants a couple of times. The food is okay but not great. Very small selection for dinner. Breakfast and lunch was better in the buffet. Now for the things I liked. I really liked our cabin. We had a handicapped room and it was so nice. We rented my husband a scooter for the ship. We also had the wheelchair with us. Both fit without a problem. Loved that they actually had a dresser that you could unpack in, not just the closets on other cruise lines. I loved the patio even though it wasn’t the usual outdoor patio. Loved the black out screen. My husband prefers the outside patio more. I liked that the casino was smoke free. On other cruises they had a smoking section and it spread through the whole casino. The entertainment was good, typical cruise entertainment. I went to every show and enjoyed them. I don’t know if we will cruise with Celebrity again. Our favorite is Princess cruise line. We live in Florida only twenty minutes from the port so it’s easy for us to book at the last minute. We are retired as well so getting a great deal is easy.
I completely agree with you regarding the shopping. It’s nice to have a look at expensive shops but to be completely out of reach for most people is mystifying.
the high end shops provide the Halo Effect, meaning they give the subconscious impression that the cruise is high end because it has high end shops. It won't work for everyone, but it definitely works and can allow Carnival to raise prices for this ship given that it is "high end.'
port reviews are really helpful for the "normal" among us lol what's the shopping like? how aggressive are the vendors? ect....I paid for the food on the ship...that's where I'll eat!
Watched this review last year, just re-watched it as we are sailing on Beyond in a suite Sept.1 :) THANK YOU for all the details. Do you recall how late the buffet stays open?
Just booked this ship to do a back to back in March 25 Caribbean then Panama Canal and southern Caribbean . Loving watching your videos . We booked a deluxe ocean view cabins at the from of the ship . Thank for all the tips 😊
Thanks Ilana. Really enjoy your content. Very relevant. We are going on Beyond March 5th. Can’t wait. We've been on many cruises, love Celebrity, but this time even more excited to explore this ship. Your Beyond videos have been helpful. Yes, please do Taino DR video. By the way, we are Canadian as well in Ontario. Nice to hear your perspective. Thanks, Gerry
My spouse and I are in love with the Edge class ships. I think they're magnificent. We're on the Beyond this winter for the first time and I cannot wait! These ships have the best entertainment, food, staff, atmosphere and rooms. They're simply stunning. We loved the infinite veranda. I do agree the shopping is extremely high-end, but it was fun for me to see the Hermes bags and such; I don't mind that I won't purchase them. Great review!
I was on the 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise with the same ports. I loved everything about it. The ship was beautiful and our stateroom was adjoining with 2 others sailing with us. We LOVED the veranda and the view with our window down was wonderful with no obstruction. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful new ship with lots of wonderful amenities.
I’ve only sailed on 2 Celebrity cruise ships and they were on the older Solstice Class, but even on these less hip and cool ships I thought the stores were too high end. Of course they need to have some options for high end cruisers who have lots of discretionary income. But please let us mainstream cruisers without tons of extra income have a few stores with low to mid price items!! They only had ONE shop with T shirts, suntan lotion etc, but the selection was very limited and gave you very few options. The store was very bare and almost sad. Celebrity needs to definitely rethink their shopping options!!
Just got back from our cruise on the Beyond and I'm in LOVE... the princess in me was BEYOND happy lol! Celebrity is our go to cruise line and the Edge class ship do take it to the next level. We ate at the Rooftop Grill and it was delicious, our first time trying a specialty restaurant. Regarding the boutique, yes they are high end, yes they are empty most of the time but I didn't care since I rarely shop onboard except maybe a watch when they have a nice sale.
Hi Ilana, I’m with you on the luxury shopping! I can enjoy browsing, however, there should be a better balance for a variety of tastes. I would agree, there are rarely many people in those shops….so a refresh would be ideal in this area! The ship looks lovely and many places to relax and cut loose. Thanks for your review! 😊
It’s interesting, many cruise lines have dedicated spaces for the suite class. Do you suppose they are catering to them? I can’t imagine anyone winning big and spending it in Cartier.
My wife and i were on the Jan 29 sailing going to the western Caribbean and Grand Cayman…..we loved it….loved the ship..met some wonderful people and when we returned home; we booked an 11 day Panama Canal cruise next Jan on the this same ship….we agree that the shopping is too high end
Thanks for a great review. I agree the food wasn’t up to par. Service was always excellent though. We had the infinite veranda. It worked out well because the first two days we had pretty bad weather and we could still enjoy the space and view! The stores were too expensive. And Cartier store only had watches. Kind of pointless…I want to at least LOOK at expensive jewelry if it’s going to be there. 😂
Thanks for the review! you have given us SO much good advice! My husband & I are sailing on the Beyond in 2024 for our 10th wedding anniversary for the 10-night southern Caribbean cruise. I went for as much as I thought I could afford, and we are getting a Magic Carpet suite. Hope I don't regret being under it!
Earth_Dragon it appears that my husband and I are going on this same cruise, it's my husbands 49th birthday and he has never been on a cruise before, I hope I didn't choose the wrong cruise for him. I have been on cruises before but not for good 15 years. We are both looking forward to this cruise.
I must compliment you on this wonderful and informative presentation. I am impressed with the picture quality of your videos, which is especially good when viewed on a television.
We just booked a Panama/Southern Caribbean cruise on Beyond for next March! Hubby and I will be celebrating our 35th anniversary ❤️. We chose this ship after watching your video.... thank you so much!
My wife and I were on the Beyond when she came down from New Jersey to Miami. We loved her. Our first Edge Class and NOT our last. We related to many of your comments. This was a great review and we enjoy watching you and your family.
You can absolutely wear capris in the main dining room in the evening on Celebrity. I have many times. Always with a nice top (casual, but slightly on the dressy side). Even years ago when the dress codes were a little more stringent.
I'm sorry if you've done it already; but you're so good at talking about the different styles of cruisers and cruising.. a comparison video would be very interesting I think since you've been on the cruises that explore the NE coast of North America (NYC, USA to Quebec, CAN) it would be really interesting (imho) for you to directly compare how different the feel is, since I hear Caribbean cruises are more a party, and the others, not so much Ty again for all your videos! You're always so helpful and informative! 💕
We sailed on Celebrity Edge B2B in January - February 2020 - right before Covid (7 night cruises). We usually book longer cruises. We found a much younger demographic on the 7 night cruises.
We sailed the Beyond last Thanksgiving. We liked the Infinite Veranda and storage space. We tried all the main dining rooms. We have sailed numerous cruises with HAL. We love the variety of soups offered on HAL. They were very limited on Beyond. Service was very good everywhere. We loved the entertainment, definitely a plus. The shops were empty most of the time, I used to a mgr in a high end jewelry company and I think many people prefer to buy high ticket watches and jewelry from a trusted business in their own city. We are a multigenerational family and our 18 yr old grandson really missed the basketball courts on HAL. That is always his fav place to make cruise friends.
Loving your videos! We’re going on celebrity beyond and we had to choose a 6:00 dining time as the anytime dining was not available. However they are offering us anytime dining in the Tuscan restaurant. If we do this will we be able to eat in the other main dining rooms as well?
Hi Llana. A great video, thank you. We have booked a cruise on the Beyond in May and are really looking forward to it. Also, in an infinite cabin as well. Your video certainly helped us answer questions that we might have had. We have already booked several excursions online and are really looking forward to the ships tour on one of the sea days. The last cruise that we did was in Alaska in 2019 and was disappointed with the overall service that we received. Fortunately, it wasn't Celebrity. We can't wait for our Celebrity Beyond cruise in 82 days.
I have seen many of your videos and so far, for whatever reason, I was reticent to subscribe. I was wrong. As I have a Celebrity Beyond cruise planned I thought your direct approach most refreshing. You are not trying to entice. You are trying to inform. I really appreciate that. So I will gladly subscribe, and thank you! Well done!
Thank you for doing this video. We are going in August. We have cruised several times before but new to Celebrity. We love Royal Caribbean and our travel agents suggested Celebrity. I am sad to hear about the shopping on board. The last cruise shopping was like that. I don’t want to spend $10,000 on a cruise ship shop. I want to see more fun shopping and reasonable prices. This would make for a fun memory and souvenir when it is reasonably priced.
Thank you, great review. You are right, it seems to be the new trend to place these high end stores on all newer ships. And they are not even inviting, as it seems there are just about 8 items in those stores. I would rather spend that money on another cruise. And YES, Taino Bay in D. R., I was really surprised, since I wasn't looking forward to this port, but ended up to be my all time favorite place. Absolutely loved the resort style feel and can't wait untill they're all done building it and to visit it again.
I agree with you, the items in the shops were really expensive. I saw a little bracelet I liked and I nearly fainted when I asked how much it was and she told me $4,000. dollars! After spending $12,000. dollars on the cruise itself…….I don’t think so. Also the amount of noise on the ship really turned us off. In the evening we couldn’t get away from it in order to have a quiet drink. There seemed to be music and entertainment everywhere.
Port Taino was legit but if you're ok with walking check out: Umbrella street (about a 10min walk outside the gate), historic town square next to historic Catholic church (15min walk). Theres an old fort (20min). And there is an actual beachfront along a nice street full of local restaurants. We spent the bulk of our day outside Taino.
I especially want to go on the Beyond when Captain Kate is there I'm really looking forward to the Bug trivia. Is there a way to know when Captain Kate is serving on the ship?
I Agree regarding the shopping. We usually like to get some gifts for friends and family. We like the shops like those on RC Allure of the Seas and her sister ship Oasis which offers more variety.
I love Effy, you can find something affordable. But the rest of the shops are really high end and most people can’t afford or don’t want to afford. I do wish they would have more affordable shopping. Loved your video.
The comedian was Steve Couette. I've seen him 4 times on Celebrity. The best comedian EVER on a cruise ship. Super talented guy. "We love you, Steve Couette!!"
Hi Ilana, I am obsessed with your videos. We just completed our first cruise to Eastern Carrots on Grandeur of The Seas. Can't wait to start planning our next cruise. Do you have a link to the white dress you were wearing in this video on an embarkation day? It is so cute! You look so lovely in it!
We just got off of the equinox. The food was not that good. The ship itself to me was very tired looking it need to be done over the workers were excellent, was mostly seniors as myself, and the entertainment was not that good part of the entertainment was singing rap I went to the front desk and ask them to take a good look at the people and maybe that should start playing music from the 60s which they did seventh day out it was a 10 day, southern Caribbean cruise I watch your podcasts quite often and find it very informative. I got my magnets and they came in very handy. I’ll never cruise without them again and this was not my first cruise. It was around the 20th for us. Thanks for all your great tips🎈🇺🇸🎈
I'd like to see more of Taino Bay. Unfortunately, on our recent cruise, we had to skip this port due to swells. We were disappointed but hope we can get back there someday.
We were on it's 1st eastern cruise in November in a Magic Carpet Sky suite. We mainly do Luminae and specialties but do buffet for breakfast & lunch. We will do a dinner here and there. The buffet for dinner was full like breakfast & lunch at that time. They announced starting 1st cruise of 2023 they were cutting back the buffet to half because of waste. More people were going to the main dining rooms and specialty than the buffet therefore a full size buffet was not warranted. So it's not to push people to pay extra like others insinuate.🤷♀️. Thanks for your review.
Thank you for a great review, we haven’t been on Beyond, are booked later on the year. Have been in various Celebrity cruises, we loved all the ships. Excellent service and food. We did Agua class in one just to try it, Blu restaurant was delicious! I did a bit of shopping, purse among them. They had all levels of shopping on the smaller ships. Thank you again, looking forward to Beyond now more then ever.😊
I have been looking for a cruise for 2024 for my birthday, and celebrity Beyond was one of our selections. Thank you for your videos. They were helpful in my decision to book the Beyond.
Perfect Timing for this video. Leaving on 3/5 on the Beyond for our 2nd Celebrity cruise. Same itinerary. Looking forward to a few relaxing days post Hurricane Ian recovery! Had a retreat level suite on Solistice and loved it. No bingo on that ship. 😢 Booked infinite veranda on Beyond. Don’t know if we will like it but we shall see. A beautiful ship but wonder if too big and high end for our tastes. The 2023 price increases are quite shocking especially with cutbacks in service. We booked cruise only rate and after the price increases may have been more economical to have all inclusive rate.
We really liked the Beyond. The ship is gorgeous and our Infinite Veranda cabin was a pleasant surprise (after looking at other videos that were less than flattering). We did wind up buying chocolates from the shop. I think our 'out the door' cost for a box of truffles (fantastic!), a box of assorted chocolates, and three bars of chocolates was a little over $100. However, there is a shop we go to regularly in Santa Fe, NM where we almost always drop $100 or more so we weren't that shocked. However, other than the truffles, the chocolate was just so-so. We were in Aqua class so most nights ate in Blu which was very good. We did eat one night a Cosmopolitan and it was also very good. I am a little disappointed in the way the Edge Class ships handle dining (YMMV) in that if I want something off of one of the dining room menus (for example Normandie) but my wife wants something from a different dining room (Tuscan), we either have to eat separately or one of us will be disappointed. Although it didn't cause an issue, one way this did affect us is that my wife saw something on the Blu menu one night but I wanted something off of the Celebrity Signature menu (which is only available in the 4 main dining rooms according to the maitre d'). If there was a disappointing aspect of our cruise, it was dinner in Eden. My wife ordered the Lobster entree and didn't like it at all. We decided that if we go back to Eden, we'll just load up on crab cakes and call it good.
Seventy-Nine Celebrity cruises I watch the shuttle changes on the line starting with the Zenith and Horizon. The Infinite Veranda is a clever idea. I don't like being on the traditional balcony withe "ship made" wind. Being able to enlarge you room by opening the bid-fold doors and leaving the window up makes for a great comfortable area to relax is a major plus.
Thanks for the helpful content. We are booked for next June. Agree with all the comments on the too high end shops. We don't shop endlessly, but it is always nice when we come across some well made or with a gorgeous design that doesn't cost several hundred dollars or more
Expensive shops on the ship seem foolish to me. It reminds me of a American Indian museum where there was almost nothing under $100. Hard to think about a souvenir at those prices
I like the garden 🪴 areas on this ship. I would cruise 🚢 on this ship. I could live with that infinite veranda. It offers some great views; however, it is a bit limiting in those views.
Thanks Illana for another very informative video. We are actually looking to cruise on the Beyond next winter. Looks similar to the Edge though even more modern. My wife & I went to the shops on the Edge and had the same opinion. Way to upscale and expensive. We found the food on the Edge great and the upscale restaurants were absolutely fantastic. Found the tour departure area was amazing and returning very easy and quick. This video might have helped us decide on this ship for our next cruise. Thanks and happy cruising Illana.
I was recently on Seashore and absolutely, beautiful ships! The Cabaret Rouge is the best nighclub at sea, stunning space (enough red velvet for a monarch!) and great energy from the cruise staff to start the party every night. It was as if the cruise activity staff was picked for their dance ability because they had coreographed performances. More entertaining than the dancers in the theatre. Food was superior to what I had heard and I liked the two smaller MDRs. Would you go on MSC again? I will probably consider only if a really low price.
We were on the Beyond for its first cruise and loved it. Too bad you didn't go the The Petite Chef, it was awesome! You were 100% correct about the shops. I saw a ring that I loved for $10K on the ship and found it at half price in Saint Martaan. We also enjoyed "Eden" every night... the ship is absolutely beautiful.
A group of 10 people including me and my husband, all in-law couples, will be on the ship next month. Your video helps much to get some idea how we will enjoy the cruise. 😊
We cruised Celebrity Edge looks identical. However, the older ship-Solstice was horrific with dried out and burnt foods with multiple repeat meals!! Stay with the new ships!
The ship should absolutely not matter in terms of food and service. Celebrity built its reputation on great food on a ship called the Meridian and it was an old ship. You should and do not have to go on a new ship to get good food or service.
Looks lovely everywhere . I particularly like the gangway area. The inside cabin looked very comfortable and a generous size. I would have been disappointed in the shops as they would be totally out of my price range.
Thank you for your suggestions. Especially on packing. I used some of them and found them very helpful. We are on Beyond right now. I agree with most of your observations, except one. The Oceanview buffet is the only thing I do not like on this ship. Being almost the only option for breakfast and lunch (because not all main dining rooms open and if open its for very short time during breakfast/lunch), the buffet is very crowded. Way too many people at once, trying to navigate around each other. And while there are a lot of seating in the buffet, you still often have to walk a while to find a table, carrying plates of food in your hands. Otherwise, yes, beautiful modern ship and we love our trip.
![Sailing the Caribbean on Celebrity's Newest Edge Class Cruise Ship! [Celebrity Ascent review]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NDq6aHwCfBE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Sailing the Caribbean on Celebrity's Newest Edge Class Cruise Ship! [Celebrity Ascent review]](/img/tr.png)
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I agree with you on the high end shop's most of us are lucky to go on the cruise let alone spend thousands at these specialty shops.
I was on the 4th sailing of the Beyond in the retreat Sky Suite. I loved it. Excited to try it again but in concierge class. You are right about the shopping. I think they need to have a more diverse option and they are missing out on revenue by just having high end shopping.
It must have been wonderful! Thanks for sharing & I agree, there’s revenue to be had 🤣
I agree with you on the shopping. I was just on the Majestic Princess and there were too many high end stores and usually empty. I would rather have stores that the majority of cruisers can afford to shop in.
Ilana, don’t pay any attention to those few negative comments. You do a great service and many of us appreciate that so much!
Thank you so much!
I just last Sunday disembarked from the Celebrity Beyond and I can honestly say that your review is spot on. We were on the same itinerary as you and also found (surprisingly) Port Taino a very nice port. I really cannot add anything that you did not mention.
I’m glad to hear your thoughts!
We just got off our cruise on the Beyond. We usually cruise with Holland or Princess. The Beyond is a really beautiful ship. I know I’m going to be comparing it with the two we usually use but that’s the way it goes. Number one difference is the staff, they really didn’t look like they were happy at all. No one was smiling or friendly. It was really different than what we were used to. Don’t get me wrong, they did a great job just not as easy to get to know. Number two complaint was the lack of regular chairs on the pool deck. They only had comfortable chairs on one side of the pool. The wind was horrible for several days but you couldn’t just move to the other side. I have a hard time sitting on the reclining deck chairs because of a neck injury. I tried to go up to the 15th floor where the garden was but while they have quite a few chairs but very little shade. That also was where the movies in the afternoon were and it was just to hot in the direct sunlight to stay and enjoy the movies. Number three was the food. My husband is in a wheelchair from a bad broken leg so we only went to the restaurants a couple of times. The food is okay but not great. Very small selection for dinner. Breakfast and lunch was better in the buffet.
Now for the things I liked. I really liked our cabin. We had a handicapped room and it was so nice. We rented my husband a scooter for the ship. We also had the wheelchair with us. Both fit without a problem. Loved that they actually had a dresser that you could unpack in, not just the closets on other cruise lines. I loved the patio even though it wasn’t the usual outdoor patio. Loved the black out screen. My husband prefers the outside patio more. I liked that the casino was smoke free. On other cruises they had a smoking section and it spread through the whole casino. The entertainment was good, typical cruise entertainment. I went to every show and enjoyed them.
I don’t know if we will cruise with Celebrity again. Our favorite is Princess cruise line. We live in Florida only twenty minutes from the port so it’s easy for us to book at the last minute. We are retired as well so getting a great deal is easy.
I will be on the Beyond in 10 days and looking forward to it. Thank you so much for your video.
I love your content and the thorough and organized way you present videos. As a new subscriber, can't wait to view past videos. Great work, thanks!
Welcome! So glad you enjoyed the video :)
I completely agree with you regarding the shopping. It’s nice to have a look at expensive shops but to be completely out of reach for most people is mystifying.
the high end shops provide the Halo Effect, meaning they give the subconscious impression that the cruise is high end because it has high end shops. It won't work for everyone, but it definitely works and can allow Carnival to raise prices for this ship given that it is "high end.'
Interesting thoughts on this. Thanks
This is owned by royal not carnival
port reviews are really helpful for the "normal" among us lol what's the shopping like? how aggressive are the vendors? ect....I paid for the food on the ship...that's where I'll eat!
It lived up to the hype for us. This ship blew every other ship we've been on out of the water.
Great to hear your thoughts!
I love the beyond and the edge class as a whole. Our favorite design.
We are doing the Ascent as soon as it gets on line. Absolutely love Celebrity. We have sailed all the ships. So much fun. 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Watched this review last year, just re-watched it as we are sailing on Beyond in a suite Sept.1 :) THANK YOU for all the details. Do you recall how late the buffet stays open?
Would love to see a video just about Port Taino. We will be headed there later this year
Great!! I’ll definitely do that
Just booked this ship to do a back to back in March 25 Caribbean then Panama Canal and southern Caribbean . Loving watching your videos . We booked a deluxe ocean view cabins at the from of the ship . Thank for all the tips 😊
Thanks Ilana. Really enjoy your content. Very relevant. We are going on Beyond March 5th. Can’t wait. We've been on many cruises, love Celebrity, but this time even more excited to explore this ship. Your Beyond videos have been helpful. Yes, please do Taino DR video. By the way, we are Canadian as well in Ontario. Nice to hear your perspective. Thanks, Gerry
Nice cruise coming up for you! Great to “meet” fellow Canadians! Enjoy 🥂
My spouse and I are in love with the Edge class ships. I think they're magnificent. We're on the Beyond this winter for the first time and I cannot wait! These ships have the best entertainment, food, staff, atmosphere and rooms. They're simply stunning. We loved the infinite veranda. I do agree the shopping is extremely high-end, but it was fun for me to see the Hermes bags and such; I don't mind that I won't purchase them. Great review!
Oh pretty!!
I was on the 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise with the same ports. I loved everything about it. The ship was beautiful and our stateroom was adjoining with 2 others sailing with us. We LOVED the veranda and the view with our window down was wonderful with no obstruction. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful new ship with lots of wonderful amenities.
Thanks for sharing!
I’ve only sailed on 2 Celebrity cruise ships and they were on the older Solstice Class, but even on these less hip and cool ships I thought the stores were too high end. Of course they need to have some options for high end cruisers who have lots of discretionary income. But please let us mainstream cruisers without tons of extra income have a few stores with low to mid price items!! They only had ONE shop with T shirts, suntan lotion etc, but the selection was very limited and gave you very few options. The store was very bare and almost sad. Celebrity needs to definitely rethink their shopping options!!
Lol, hope they hear us 😉😂
Just got back from our cruise on the Beyond and I'm in LOVE... the princess in me was BEYOND happy lol! Celebrity is our go to cruise line and the Edge class ship do take it to the next level. We ate at the Rooftop Grill and it was delicious, our first time trying a specialty restaurant. Regarding the boutique, yes they are high end, yes they are empty most of the time but I didn't care since I rarely shop onboard except maybe a watch when they have a nice sale.
Hi Ilana, I’m with you on the luxury shopping! I can enjoy browsing, however, there should be a better balance for a variety of tastes. I would agree, there are rarely many people in those shops….so a refresh would be ideal in this area! The ship looks lovely and many places to relax and cut loose. Thanks for your review! 😊
Thanks for sharing your experience:)
It’s interesting, many cruise lines have dedicated spaces for the suite class. Do you suppose they are catering to them? I can’t imagine anyone winning big and spending it in Cartier.
I'd enjoy a video on Port Taino! This seems like a new port for several cruise lines, and I don't know anything about it yet.
My wife and i were on the Jan 29 sailing going to the western Caribbean and Grand Cayman…..we loved it….loved the ship..met some wonderful people and when we returned home; we booked an 11 day Panama Canal cruise next Jan on the this same ship….we agree that the shopping is too high end
Thanks for a great review. I agree the food wasn’t up to par. Service was always excellent though. We had the infinite veranda. It worked out well because the first two days we had pretty bad weather and we could still enjoy the space and view! The stores were too expensive. And Cartier store only had watches. Kind of pointless…I want to at least LOOK at expensive jewelry if it’s going to be there. 😂
Thanks for sharing! Lol, only Cartier watches? Haha you’re right, at least a bracelet would be nice 😂
@@LifeWellCruised CC
Awesome review ! Which floor was this hun ? Would love to have an idea on the room number if possible .. This room looks aesthetically perfect !
This video was perfect timing. We board Celebrity Beyond in 2 days. So excited to experience it first hand. Great tips as always.
Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for the review! you have given us SO much good advice! My husband & I are sailing on the Beyond in 2024 for our 10th wedding anniversary for the 10-night southern Caribbean cruise. I went for as much as I thought I could afford, and we are getting a Magic Carpet suite. Hope I don't regret being under it!
Happy anniversary! Sounds like it will be wonderful 👏
Earth_Dragon it appears that my husband and I are going on this same cruise, it's my husbands 49th birthday and he has never been on a cruise before, I hope I didn't choose the wrong cruise for him. I have been on cruises before but not for good 15 years. We are both looking forward to this cruise.
I must compliment you on this wonderful and informative presentation. I am impressed with the picture quality of your videos, which is especially good when viewed on a television.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it
We just booked a Panama/Southern Caribbean cruise on Beyond for next March! Hubby and I will be celebrating our 35th anniversary ❤️. We chose this ship after watching your video.... thank you so much!
Happy anniversary!
My wife and I were on the Beyond when she came down from New Jersey to Miami. We loved her. Our first Edge Class and NOT our last. We related to many of your comments. This was a great review and we enjoy watching you and your family.
Thanks for sharing your experience & I appreciate your comments 😊
Totally agree high end stores are not good and like others say, passengers pay enough for the cruise and drink packages . Nice review
The Edge also had empty high-end stores. We love the infinity balcony ❤
Interesting… thanks for sharing
Yes please, video on Port Taino! Love your vlogs!!!❤
Will do!! (& thank you!)
You can absolutely wear capris in the main dining room in the evening on Celebrity. I have many times. Always with a nice top (casual, but slightly on the dressy side). Even years ago when the dress codes were a little more stringent.
I'm sorry if you've done it already; but you're so good at talking about the different styles of cruisers and cruising.. a comparison video would be very interesting I think
since you've been on the cruises that explore the NE coast of North America (NYC, USA to Quebec, CAN) it would be really interesting (imho) for you to directly compare how different the feel is, since I hear Caribbean cruises are more a party, and the others, not so much
Ty again for all your videos! You're always so helpful and informative! 💕
Thanks for the great ideas! I definitely have to try something like this :)
We took an excursion to ST. Johns, Trunk Bay and that is one of the most beautiful beaches we have visited.
Beautiful!! Good choice
Agree about Trunk Bay. We did it as a shore excursion. Worth it!
We sailed on Celebrity Edge B2B in January - February 2020 - right before Covid (7 night cruises). We usually book longer cruises. We found a much younger demographic on the 7 night cruises.
We sailed the Beyond last Thanksgiving. We liked the Infinite Veranda and storage space. We tried all the main dining rooms. We have sailed numerous cruises with HAL. We love the variety of soups offered on HAL. They were very limited on Beyond. Service was very good everywhere. We loved the entertainment, definitely a plus. The shops were empty most of the time, I used to a mgr in a high end jewelry company and I think many people prefer to buy high ticket watches and jewelry from a trusted business in their own city. We are a multigenerational family and our 18 yr old grandson really missed the basketball courts on HAL. That is always his fav place to make cruise friends.
Thanks for sharing!
Loving your videos! We’re going on celebrity beyond and we had to choose a 6:00 dining time as the anytime dining was not available. However they are offering us anytime dining in the Tuscan restaurant. If we do this will we be able to eat in the other main dining rooms as well?
Hi Llana. A great video, thank you. We have booked a cruise on the Beyond in May and are really looking forward to it. Also, in an infinite cabin as well. Your video certainly helped us answer questions that we might have had. We have already booked several excursions online and are really looking forward to the ships tour on one of the sea days. The last cruise that we did was in Alaska in 2019 and was disappointed with the overall service that we received. Fortunately, it wasn't Celebrity. We can't wait for our Celebrity Beyond cruise in 82 days.
Have a wonderful cruise!
Great video...thanks for producing this as we have been very curious and interested in this vessel !!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Lemon bars alone are a reason to cruise Celebrity!!!!! Best video on Beyond yet. April is embarkation for us
Yum!! Thanks for watching
I love how your boys and husband all wore jackets to dinner, thank you.
I have seen many of your videos and so far, for whatever reason, I was reticent to subscribe. I was wrong. As I have a Celebrity Beyond cruise planned I thought your direct approach most refreshing. You are not trying to entice. You are trying to inform. I really appreciate that. So I will gladly subscribe, and thank you! Well done!
Wow what a great review, as always. Thanks!
Glad you liked it!
Excellent review. Thank you for posting. We're cruising on the Beyond in March 2024 and this review is very helpful.
Thank you for doing this video. We are going in August. We have cruised several times before but new to Celebrity. We love Royal Caribbean and our travel agents suggested Celebrity. I am sad to hear about the shopping on board. The last cruise shopping was like that. I don’t want to spend $10,000 on a cruise ship shop. I want to see more fun shopping and reasonable prices. This would make for a fun memory and souvenir when it is reasonably priced.
Great and very thorough review. Absolutely beautiful ship. ❤ 🚢 🌊
Yes, please post a video of Port Tanio in the Dominican Republic. This is a possible port we will visit in the future. Any details will be great!
Thank you, great review. You are right, it seems to be the new trend to place these high end stores on all newer ships. And they are not even inviting, as it seems there are just about 8 items in those stores. I would rather spend that money on another cruise. And YES, Taino Bay in D. R., I was really surprised, since I wasn't looking forward to this port, but ended up to be my all time favorite place. Absolutely loved the resort style feel and can't wait untill they're all done building it and to visit it again.
I agree with you, the items in the shops were really expensive. I saw a little bracelet I liked and I nearly fainted when I asked how much it was and she told me $4,000. dollars! After spending $12,000. dollars on the cruise itself…….I don’t think so. Also the amount of noise on the ship really turned us off. In the evening we couldn’t get away from it in order to have a quiet drink. There seemed to be music and entertainment everywhere.
Eeek, thanks for sharing
Ooh, I wouldn’t like that!
Port Taino was legit but if you're ok with walking check out: Umbrella street (about a 10min walk outside the gate), historic town square next to historic Catholic church (15min walk). Theres an old fort (20min). And there is an actual beachfront along a nice street full of local restaurants. We spent the bulk of our day outside Taino.
I especially want to go on the Beyond when Captain Kate is there I'm really looking forward to the Bug trivia. Is there a way to know when Captain Kate is serving on the ship?
Cruised on the Edge, loved it. Less kids is fine with me. Loved the infinate verandah.
I’m going on the Beyond in September - Italy, Greece, Croatia and Montenegro. Very excited!
This video is so well done! Thank you so much!
I Agree regarding the shopping. We usually like to get some gifts for friends and family. We like the shops like those on RC Allure of the Seas and her sister ship Oasis which offers more variety.
We're going on this ship this July!
I love Effy, you can find something affordable. But the rest of the shops are really high end and most people can’t afford or don’t want to afford. I do wish they would have more affordable shopping. Loved your video.
Thanks so much!!
The comedian was Steve Couette. I've seen him 4 times on Celebrity. The best comedian EVER on a cruise ship. Super talented guy.
"We love you, Steve Couette!!"
Hi Ilana, I am obsessed with your videos. We just completed our first cruise to Eastern Carrots on Grandeur of The Seas. Can't wait to start planning our next cruise. Do you have a link to the white dress you were wearing in this video on an embarkation day? It is so cute! You look so lovely in it!
Thanks or this video. I'm going on Celebrity Beyond and I'm paying close attention to all your tips.
I have never considered going on a celebrity cruise until today. Great review and I will be checking into booking a celebrity cruise.
We just got off of the equinox. The food was not that good. The ship itself to me was very tired looking it need to be done over the workers were excellent, was mostly seniors as myself, and the entertainment was not that good part of the entertainment was singing rap I went to the front desk and ask them to take a good look at the people and maybe that should start playing music from the 60s which they did seventh day out it was a 10 day, southern Caribbean cruise I watch your podcasts quite often and find it very informative. I got my magnets and they came in very handy. I’ll never cruise without them again and this was not my first cruise. It was around the 20th for us. Thanks for all your great tips🎈🇺🇸🎈
Thanks for sharing! You make an interesting point about the cruise entertainment including music, catering to the demographic they have
Beautiful ship! Excellent review!
I'd like to see more of Taino Bay. Unfortunately, on our recent cruise, we had to skip this port due to swells. We were disappointed but hope we can get back there someday.
Too bad. I get the feeling this port is going to be even better, so hopefully you’ll be back 😊
Great info. Thanks so much.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching
Nice review. yes a video on Port Taino, Dominican Republic. Thank you.
We were on it's 1st eastern cruise in November in a Magic Carpet Sky suite. We mainly do Luminae and specialties but do buffet for breakfast & lunch. We will do a dinner here and there. The buffet for dinner was full like breakfast & lunch at that time. They announced starting 1st cruise of 2023 they were cutting back the buffet to half because of waste. More people were going to the main dining rooms and specialty than the buffet therefore a full size buffet was not warranted. So it's not to push people to pay extra like others insinuate.🤷♀️. Thanks for your review.
Thank you for a great review, we haven’t been on Beyond, are booked later on the year. Have been in various Celebrity cruises, we loved all the ships. Excellent service and food. We did Agua class in one just to try it, Blu restaurant was delicious! I did a bit of shopping, purse among them. They had all levels of shopping on the smaller ships. Thank you again, looking forward to Beyond now more then ever.😊
Thanks for sharing!
Cruising on the Beyond tomorrow- Feb 19. I loved the Edge and looking forward to the Beyond.
Enjoy!!
I have been looking for a cruise for 2024 for my birthday, and celebrity Beyond was one of our selections. Thank you for your videos. They were helpful in my decision to book the Beyond.
Glad it was helpful!
I will definitely have to do this soon. Decor looks better. Restaurants are more upscale.
I totally agree!
Perfect Timing for this video. Leaving on 3/5 on the Beyond for our 2nd Celebrity cruise. Same itinerary. Looking forward to a few relaxing days post Hurricane Ian recovery!
Had a retreat level suite on Solistice and loved it. No bingo on that ship. 😢
Booked infinite veranda on Beyond. Don’t know if we will like it but we shall see. A beautiful ship but wonder if too big and high end for our tastes.
The 2023 price increases are quite shocking especially with cutbacks in service. We booked cruise only rate and after the price increases may have been more economical to have all inclusive rate.
Have a wonderful cruise!
We really liked the Beyond. The ship is gorgeous and our Infinite Veranda cabin was a pleasant surprise (after looking at other videos that were less than flattering). We did wind up buying chocolates from the shop. I think our 'out the door' cost for a box of truffles (fantastic!), a box of assorted chocolates, and three bars of chocolates was a little over $100. However, there is a shop we go to regularly in Santa Fe, NM where we almost always drop $100 or more so we weren't that shocked. However, other than the truffles, the chocolate was just so-so.
We were in Aqua class so most nights ate in Blu which was very good. We did eat one night a Cosmopolitan and it was also very good. I am a little disappointed in the way the Edge Class ships handle dining (YMMV) in that if I want something off of one of the dining room menus (for example Normandie) but my wife wants something from a different dining room (Tuscan), we either have to eat separately or one of us will be disappointed. Although it didn't cause an issue, one way this did affect us is that my wife saw something on the Blu menu one night but I wanted something off of the Celebrity Signature menu (which is only available in the 4 main dining rooms according to the maitre d').
If there was a disappointing aspect of our cruise, it was dinner in Eden. My wife ordered the Lobster entree and didn't like it at all. We decided that if we go back to Eden, we'll just load up on crab cakes and call it good.
Thanks for sharing your experience as well! Super helpful
I will be on the Celebrity Beyond next February! Very excited.
Seventy-Nine Celebrity cruises I watch the shuttle changes on the line starting with the Zenith and Horizon. The Infinite Veranda is a clever idea. I don't like being on the traditional balcony withe "ship made" wind. Being able to enlarge you room by opening the bid-fold doors and leaving the window up makes for a great comfortable area to relax is a major plus.
Thanks for sharing
My wife and I booked a cruise on this ship for our 20th anniversary. We can't wait! Great video with tips and helpful hints. Thanks
Glad it was helpful! Happy anniversary 🥂
Love the ship but your black dress was FABULOUS, too!
Lol thanks
We just today booked for next August. These are so helpful.
Thanks for the helpful content. We are booked for next June. Agree with all the comments on the too high end shops. We don't shop endlessly, but it is always nice when we come across some well made or with a gorgeous design that doesn't cost several hundred dollars or more
Glad it was helpful!
This is gonna be my first cruise, 31 March
This looks right up my alley! Thanks, Ilana!
Glad you enjoyed it 😊
Beautiful Video Illana! I like seeing what the nicer ships have to offer.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much
I went 11 days for New Year’s 🎉and was amazing, beautiful ship 🛳️ .
Expensive shops on the ship seem foolish to me. It reminds me of a American Indian museum where there was almost nothing under $100. Hard to think about a souvenir at those prices
I like the garden 🪴 areas on this ship. I would cruise 🚢 on this ship. I could live with that infinite veranda. It offers some great views; however, it is a bit limiting in those views.
Thanks Illana for another very informative video. We are actually looking to cruise on the Beyond next winter. Looks similar to the Edge though even more modern.
My wife & I went to the shops on the Edge and had the same opinion. Way to upscale and expensive.
We found the food on the Edge great and the upscale restaurants were absolutely fantastic.
Found the tour departure area was amazing and returning very easy and quick.
This video might have helped us decide on this ship for our next cruise. Thanks and happy cruising Illana.
So glad the video was helpful, @ thanks for sharing your experiences too :)
I love the beauty of this ship! We recently went on the MSC Seascape and it was beyond gorgeous! I want to go on the Beyond for sure!
Great to hear! We’re thinking of trying this ship
I was recently on Seashore and absolutely, beautiful ships! The Cabaret Rouge is the best nighclub at sea, stunning space (enough red velvet for a monarch!) and great energy from the cruise staff to start the party every night. It was as if the cruise activity staff was picked for their dance ability because they had coreographed performances. More entertaining than the dancers in the theatre. Food was superior to what I had heard and I liked the two smaller MDRs.
Would you go on MSC again? I will probably consider only if a really low price.
The rainbow in Sint Maarten was so pretty.
Great moment!! We got lucky
We were on the Beyond for its first cruise and loved it. Too bad you didn't go the The Petite Chef, it was awesome! You were 100% correct about the shops. I saw a ring that I loved for $10K on the ship and found it at half price in Saint Martaan. We also enjoyed "Eden" every night... the ship is absolutely beautiful.
Next time! Thanks for sharing 😊
My husband and I will be on the Beyond in a few weeks. Thanks for all of the information - you answered a lot of our questions.
So exciting!! Enjoy
The shops were a waste of space on the Edge. They were either closed or deserted.
Interesting…
A group of 10 people including me and my husband, all in-law couples, will be on the ship next month. Your video helps much to get some idea how we will enjoy the cruise. 😊
Have fun! So glad the video was helpful
Wow that cafe and those cakes look amazing :) the ship looks stunning :) wish it would come to Australia
We cruised Celebrity Edge looks identical. However, the older ship-Solstice was horrific with dried out and burnt foods with multiple repeat meals!! Stay with the new ships!
The ship should absolutely not matter in terms of food and service. Celebrity built its reputation on great food on a ship called the Meridian and it was an old ship. You should and do not have to go on a new ship to get good food or service.
Looks beautiful. I’d love a separate video on port in DR.
Noted! Thanks for watching:)
Looks lovely everywhere . I particularly like the gangway area. The inside cabin looked very comfortable and a generous size. I would have been disappointed in the shops as they would be totally out of my price range.
Thanks for watching!
you missed the Retreat! is there another video for that?
@@Bucket3Travel I’d love to have shared a review of this, but unless I experience it, I cannot :). There are other videos if you search
Thank you for your suggestions. Especially on packing. I used some of them and found them very helpful.
We are on Beyond right now. I agree with most of your observations, except one. The Oceanview buffet is the only thing I do not like on this ship. Being almost the only option for breakfast and lunch (because not all main dining rooms open and if open its for very short time during breakfast/lunch), the buffet is very crowded. Way too many people at once, trying to navigate around each other. And while there are a lot of seating in the buffet, you still often have to walk a while to find a table, carrying plates of food in your hands.
Otherwise, yes, beautiful modern ship and we love our trip.
Thanks for sharing! Hopefully they’ll improve the areas people aren’t as pleased with
We had breakfast and lunch at the Eden cafe several times when sailed the Beyond.